Egg-Sized Diamond Discovered in Botswana

Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi holds a gem diamond in Gaborone, Botswana, on June 16, 2021. (AFP Photo)
Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi holds a gem diamond in Gaborone, Botswana, on June 16, 2021. (AFP Photo)
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Egg-Sized Diamond Discovered in Botswana

Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi holds a gem diamond in Gaborone, Botswana, on June 16, 2021. (AFP Photo)
Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi holds a gem diamond in Gaborone, Botswana, on June 16, 2021. (AFP Photo)

One of the largest diamonds ever found has been discovered in a mine in the landlocked African state of Botswana.

The stone, the size of a chicken's egg, is 1098 carats and of the purest quality, mine operator Debswana said. The gem was found at the Jwaneng mine earlier this month, according to the German News Agency (dpa).

The mine is owned by the Debswana consortium, in partnership with diamond producer De Beers and the state of Botswana. It owns a total of four large diamond mines, of which the 400-meter-deep mine in Jwaneng is considered the largest.

News of the discovery comes as diamond fever gripped a tiny village across the border in South Africa. Thousands of treasure hunters flocked to the region, to burrow through the soil where a local shepherd found a fistful of unidentified stones.

According to The Metro, word quickly spread about the find after pictures and videos were posted to social media showing people celebrating the discovery of what are believed to be quartz crystals.

Prospectors wielding picks, shovels and forks travelled from across the country to join villagers who have been digging since Saturday. Sihle Zikalala, the province's premier, ordered the crowds to leave the area, warning that "the situation could result in chaos and a possible stampede."



Croatia's Scientists Seek to Ward Off Threat to Posidonia Seagrass

Salema porgy swim near seagrass in the protected area of France's Porquerolles National Park ahead of the UN Ocean Conference on Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag)
Salema porgy swim near seagrass in the protected area of France's Porquerolles National Park ahead of the UN Ocean Conference on Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag)
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Croatia's Scientists Seek to Ward Off Threat to Posidonia Seagrass

Salema porgy swim near seagrass in the protected area of France's Porquerolles National Park ahead of the UN Ocean Conference on Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag)
Salema porgy swim near seagrass in the protected area of France's Porquerolles National Park ahead of the UN Ocean Conference on Friday, June 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Annika Hammerschlag)

At Croatia’s Dugi Otok island in the Adriatic Sea, scientists, demanding action to protect environmentally important meadows of seagrass, have been on a diving mission to assess the damage inflicted by human activity.

Named after Poseidon, the ancient Greek god of the sea, Posidonia oceanica, commonly known as Mediterranean tapeweed, provides food and shelter for fish, protects coasts from erosion, purifies sea water and can play a vital role in helping to tackle global warming.

A meadow of Posidonia can annually soak up to 15 times more carbon dioxide than a similar sized piece of the Amazon rainforest, scientific research has found.

But the scientists say much more needs to be done to protect it from tourist anchoring and from trawlers dragging fishing nets in the waters of the Adriatic Sea off Dugi Otok and the surrounding Kornati archipelago national park.

They have urged tougher regulations and fines for anyone breaching them.

Dominik Mihaljevic, a biologist at the national park, said the park had begun to install anchorages that would not harm the seagrass.

"Our ultimate goal is to completely prohibit anchoring at the 19 anchorage locations that are currently in use," Reuters quoted him as saying.

Matea Spika, a senior associate at Croatia’s Sunce environmental protection association, told Reuters Mediterranean Posidonia, endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, had declined by 30% in the last 30-to-40 years.

Apart from the issue of anchors and fishing nets, she said chemicals, excess nutrients from farms and cities, warmer waters due to climate change, and invasive species had caused further damage.

New ports and artificial beaches have also blocked sunlight essential for Posidonia’s growth.